Hero Of Sorts
by Rylak
Summary: Tails can't take it any more. After Bunnie is wounded on a mission, Tails leaves the Freedom Fighters to hunt down all of their enemies. Along the way, he teams up with an unexpected ally, but may have made a new enemy of his old friends... Bends slightly into the webcomic Exterminatus Now, but that doesn't have a category on FF so far as I know, and takes place on Mobius, so...
1. Cause of Effect

The once quiet desert was alive with the sounds of battle. An old oil refinery belonging to the Eggman Empire was in the middle of being raided by a trio of Freedom Fighters. The centre of attention was a rather new radio tower in the middle of the refinery.

Tails ran from the tower yelling. "Go! Go! Go! It's about to blow!"

The explosives detonated, blowing the base of the tower apart. Bunnie blocked flying pieces of shrapnel with her energy shield while Sonic simply dodged. Tails watched them both, knocking debris aside with his tails. They could hear annoyed whining coming from a nearby speaker.

"That's just not fair! How am I supposed to control the King's mind without that?"

Sonic stopped and glanced up at the speaker, which held the likeness of Dr. Robotnik. "Hey, Ro-butt-nik! Your plans are scrambled, Eggman! You're fried!"

Above the small scene of destruction, Eggman sat in his one-man pod. He mumbled to himself. "If he uses another one of those infernal puns again, I'll detonate the city's main reactor… maybe if I move it first."

Tails glanced up, spotting the pod. "Sonic! He's here!"

Sonic looked up. "Dang! There's no way I'd make it up there. Tails, Bunnie, can you get him?"

Bunnie nodded. "Sure enough, sugar hog." She rocketed towards Eggman with Tails right behind her. Tails sped past her, arching around the pod and slashing its control lines with his tails.

Eggman groaned as the pod sunk to the ground. "Once again, versatile and unnatural limbs win the day."

Sonic leaned on the pod. "Hey, doc? When you gonna be sunny side up?"

Eggman shook his head. "Just get it over with. Please don't gloat."

Sonic nodded to Bunnie. She grabbed him and pulled him out of the pod. "You have the right to remain silent, but since you obviously won't we'll skip your other rights as well. You have the right to an attorney, but you unfortunately outlawed them so there are none to represent you."

Tails watched, completely content. Eggman had proved difficult to capture, but they had finally come through and for the first time in years there was no one interfering with their mission. Eggman's reign of terror over Mobius had finally come to an end.

A bullet clipped Bunnie in the arm. She whirled just in time to catch another bullet in the shoulder. Blood sprayed and she fell. A third bullet bounced off a metal storage container beside Tails. He ducked behind the container, not wanting his head to be the next thing featuring a bullet hole. Sonic grabbed Bunnie and dragged her behind the pod. More bullets bounced around the area.

Tails called across to Sonic. "Is Bunnie okay?"

He checked her neck. "Yeah, but she doesn't look too good. Tails, can you see who's shooting at us?"

Tails peeked around the container, ducking back just in time as a bullet whizzed past. "No, he's too quick. I wouldn't be surprised if it's Nack, judging by his aim."

Sonic looked around for any larger cover. There was none. "Well, you're gonna have to do this one, buddy. I gotta take care of Bunnie."

Tails nodded. "Okay! Go around the left! He won't be expecting that!" Tails broke into a fast run, going around the right. As he had planned, Nack had been watching the left after overhearing the plan. By the time he could readjust his sights Tails was under him.

The Weasel cursed. Before he could even stand, the raised platform he had perched on collapsed. Tails had cut through the structure's supports with his razor sharp namesakes. Nack landed in a heap in front of Tails who hauled him upright.

"I should have known it was too good to be true. We had him. Why are you always there to get in our way, you or someone else? Answer me, Weasel!"

Nack shook the daze from himself. "Uh… I suppose it has something to do with old rivalries." He pulled his sidearm from its holster and fired. Tails was quick enough to avoid being shot, and knocked the gun away. Nack punched him in the face, knocking him over. The mercenary turned and ran, quickly disappearing into the landscape.

Tails pulled himself to his feet. He growled at the disappearing figure. "Whatever. You run. You're going down. I'll get you somehow."

Sonic walked over helping Bunnie along. "He got away again?" Tails nodded. "Huh, well… so did Eggman. How does that guy disappear so quickly?"

Tails glanced away from the spot where Nack had vanished. "Sonic? You've noticed, right? That every time we get one of them, they manage to escape and we have to deal with them all over again?"

Sonic nodded. "Eh, well, it's all part of life."

"It doesn't have to be."

Sonic didn't respond for a time. He eventually looked down at Bunnie, saying. "Okay, I get you, buddy. We'll talk about this when we get back. Right now, we need to get Bunnie some medical attention."

Tails sighed, nodding. "Yeah, alright. Where's the truck?"


	2. New Divide

Sally watched the door to her office in the refurnished Freedom HQ. She was expecting a visit. Not because she had asked someone to come, but because no one had intruded in the past hour. Right on queue, there was a light but deliberate knock on the door. Sally took her feet off her desk and straightened up.

"Come in." The door opened and Tails stepped in. She nodded to the door. "Close it." He shut the door behind him quietly. Sally nodded towards one of the chairs on the other side of her desk. "Sit." He sat. Sally nodded to him. "What took you so long?"

Tails fidgeted. "Uh, well, Nack showed up and Eggman ran off… and Nack got away too."

Sally shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Why didn't you walk into my office sooner?"

Tails seemed to avoid eye contact. "Sonic and I were having a… conversation."

Sally sighed regretfully. "That was rather loud for a simple conversation, don't you think?"

Tails looked up a bit. It looked like he was staring her in the throat. "There was a disagreement."

Sally grinned. "Yeah, I know. I could hear it." She stood and began walking around the room. "So tell me, Tails. Why is it you want to rid the Freedom Fighters of our code against killing?"

Tails sat up straighter. "See, Sally, every time we get near Robotnik some other enemy gets in the way. Nack, Bean, Scourge, Finetevus, Fiona, Mogul, just to name a few. If we could remove them from the picture, we'd be able to go straight for Eggman. No one would stand in the way. It would be over."

Sally turned on him, slamming her fists on the desk. "Cripes, Tails! You don't get it, do you? We're fighting against Robotnik to keep people from dying!"

Tails stood up, looking Sally in the face. Now he was making eye contact. "And how many die in the meantime because we couldn't handle having blood on our hands? They are terrors! They have killed people! We need to be rid of them or there won't be anyone left to save!"

Sally shook her head sadly. "Tails, it goes against the Freedom Fighter code. If we begin to act like them, think like them, kill like them… we're no better than they are. The code stands for all we hold dear and as long as you're a Freedom Fighter you can not deviate from it."

Tails looked away. "Yeah… I see what you mean." His gaze returned to her. "Princess, I regret to inform you that I will be resigning from my work as a Freedom Fighter."

Sally could do nothing but stare at him in shock. She searched his eyes for any hint that this might be a joke. There was nothing. He was serious. No one had resigned from the Freedom Fighters before. They were a closely-knit group of friends. They had had their share of traitors and deaths and even a few retirements, but none had resigned. Sally fell back into her chair. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She looked up at Tails, not bothering to remove the tear. "Why?" It was all she could manage.

Tails sat down. "Sally… maybe you'll understand later. I need to do this… for you." He turned and headed to the door. He paused and, without turning back to her spoke softly but seriously. "I would advise you keep an eye on the Knothole Times, in the obituaries, just in case." With that, he left.

He walked out into the main room of Freedom HQ. Sonic was sitting across the room, arms crossed moodily. Other than him, only Amy and Mina were present. They busied themselves with quietly talking. Tails sighed and stepped to the door. At the exit, he looked back at the blue Hedgehog he had once called his hero. He mentally shoved himself out the door. That was the last they ever saw of each other.

Antoine came in from the next room. Mina and Amy jumped up, talking at once.

"Is Bunnie okay?"

"Is she going to keep her arm?"

Sonic just sat back and watched; letting Antoine handle the situation. The Coyote put his hands up for silence. Once they had quieted down, he began. "Doctor Quack says she will make a full recovery, but she will be out of action for at least a month."

Sonic shook his head. Eggman, he swore, would pay.


	3. Get In The Ring

It had been only a week since he had left the Freedom Fighters, but to Tails it felt like an eternity. He sat alone in a small room he had commandeered on the outskirts of the ring. His mind raced. He hadn't seen any of his targets since he had left. He was certain the ring was the right place to search for them, but what if they knew he was after them. He had already determined that he should start at the bottom, seeing as it usually took Sonic to bring any one of them down.

He sighed and shoved the laid out papers aside. He stood and looked out the window. The streets were usually empty except for people running quickly from one place to the next to avoid being mugged. Tails couldn't believe his luck when he saw a green blur speed past on the street. Whether it was good or bad luck, he couldn't decide. Sticking his head out the window, he saw that Scourge had stopped just up the street from where he was. Looking back only briefly, Tails leapt out the window. Spinning his tails, he sped through the air towards the green Hedgehog.

He landed a couple of meters away, staying in the shadows to avoid being seen. The green Hedgehog was knocking on a door. Tails watched intently, wondering whom Scourge could possibly "respect" enough to make him knock. The door opened and Tails gasped. It was Fiona. She had a gun pointed at Scourge. Tails crept closer, trying to hear what was going on.

Fiona shoved the gun closer to Scourge's face. "After all you've done, you really think you can show up here without getting shot at?"

Scourge growled, none to pleased with the welcome. "Look, I just need you to do a few little jobs, okay? Just a favour."

Fiona nodded sarcastically. "A favour? Right. Yes, I owe you a favour."

Scourge nodded. "The way I see it, you ran out on me when everyone else tried to kill me. So you owe me."

"Shut up, Scourge." Fiona pressed the gun into his forehead. "I don't owe you anything but blood, your blood. If you want something from me, you can have a bullet or two from this gun. That's all your getting."

Scourge turned to leave. "Whatever. Just one thing…" He turned back and charged her, moving into a spin dash. She had lowered her gun and so couldn't defend herself properly. The spin dash knocked Fiona back onto the floor. Scourge punched her in the head, knocking her out. He looked around, chuckling to himself. He walked into the next room, a kitchen, and grabbed a sharp knife. "Oooo… time for some fun."

He turned around and almost walked into Tails. The Fox shook his head. "Whatever you were going to do with that, I won't let you."

Scourge was about to attempt a witty comeback when Tails' razor sharp namesakes lashed out, cutting the Hedgehog's legs off at the knees and slicing open his wrist. Scourge dropped the knife, no longer capable of holding it. He fell forward, blood draining from his body at irregular speeds.

Tails reached down and turned the Hedgehog over. He took a step back when he realized Scourge was dead, the knife stuck in his chest. He looked behind him, trying to figure out what to do with Fiona. Part of him wanted to finish the job and take out another target, but something told him there was a better option. He walked over to Fiona and knelt beside her. "Maybe… maybe there's still a chance of redemption for you, Fiona." He stood and headed for the door hoping Fiona would stick around to find out who had saved her.

Tails headed back to his room up the street. Entering the way he had left, he picked up his pile of papers and left again. He headed deep into the ring; sure he was ready for any new challenge.


	4. Fox On The Run

Fiona opened her eyes. She sat up and glanced around. Scourge lay dead in the next room, his legs cut off and a knife buried deep in his chest. Fiona slowly crawled over, fearing that the Hedgehog might be faking… somehow. She nudged him. He was cold and stiff. There was a knock on the door. Fiona stood up slowly and headed to the door, making sure the chain lock was on. She didn't want anyone finding a corpse in her house. She opened the door the few inches it would allow for. In front of her stood Tails. She swore and ran.

Tails reached in through the crack and unlocked the chain. He swung the door open and ran after her. "Fiona, wait!"

She slid through the kitchen and ran out the back door, swearing some more. She tripped and fell down the stairs behind the house, swearing yet again. Tails ran through the kitchen, accidentally bumping a CD player. It started playing some sort of blaring music. He jumped out the back door, landing on top of Fiona. He held her down as he tried to explain.

"I'm not going to hurt you! Stop struggling! Listen, I'm here to help you." She finally settled down. He sighed with relief. "Okay, listen, last night Scourge attacked you. He knocked you unconscious. Whatever he was going to do to you, he never got to it because I stopped him." He paused, trying to read her face. He gave up when he realized it was impossible. "Now, what do you say to someone who just saved your life?"

She pretended to be about to thank him. Instead, she hit him in the shoulder, knocking him off her. She stood up, pointing at him. "And yet, you saw fit to leave me out on the floor without even cleaning up your mess." Her ears perked up. "And you've been messing with my CD player." She walked past him and back into her house. He heard her mumble something that was barely audible. "Thanks."

He smiled and stood, watching her walk into her home. The music stopped abruptly. He could barely suppress a smile. He stepped into the house. Inside, Fiona was busying herself with making something to eat. She pointed at the body on the floor.

"I'm not feeding you until you dispose of that. It's your mess, not mine."

Tails nodded and began searching for a way to discard the corpse. He eventually ended up stuffing the body into a garbage bag. He tied it closed and sat down in a chair next to the table. Fiona glared at him.

"I refuse to believe Sally hasn't taught you about washing your hands. You'd probably be better off taking a shower, though." She pointed across the hall to the stairs. "The shower is up there. Go! You're covered with blood." She watched him disappear up the stairs. She sat down, cradling her head in her arms. "What am I doing? He's chasing after me again. When is he going to learn?" She sighed, sat up straight, and stared blankly at the wall. She waited until he came down the stairs, the bloodstains cleaned off of him.

He sat down across from her. "Thanks for letting me use your shower… and for the meal." He glanced at the table. There was food on it, but he couldn't recognize some of it. "What… is it?"

"Would you believe Hedgehog meat?"

"Uh… yes, actually."

"Well, it's grilled cheese and rhubarb pie."

Tails watched the pie suspiciously. Once he determined it wasn't going to move, he poked it with his fork. "It's purple." He shrugged and took a bite.

Fiona watched him carefully. "Do you like it?"

"Tastes a bit weird, but not bad."

"Weird indeed." Fiona started eating her own serving. "I was busy making it when Scourge interrupted last night. Retard deserved what he got for messing up my rhubarb pie."

Tails watched her as they ate. All of her previous traits seemed to have disappeared. Fiona seemed calm now. She was cooking food. It took him a short while, but Tails finally put his finger on it. She had grown up. He thought hard, trying to think of something to say that would tell him what he wanted to know without offending her. "I, uh… notice you've changed your costume again."

She looked up from her meal. "Costume, Tails? This isn't a costume. I'm wearing a shirt and pants. That's what normal people wear. That's why I'm wearing it. I'm done with whatever you or Sally or Scourge want me to do."

Tails nodded. "Okay. I see. Then I guess you're not interested in finding out what I'm doing here, are you?" Fiona went silent. Tails smiled. He knew she was curious. "Or are you?"

She sighed. "Oh, hell… what are you up to, Tails?"

"I'm here because I'm hunting down and killing people like… Scourge for instance. High on my list of targets is Bean, Bark, and Nack."

Fiona became very interested. "Nack… you're going to kill him?"

Tails nodded. "Eventually. But I wouldn't mind some help."

Fiona shrugged off what he was obviously trying to indicate. "Why don't you get help from the other Freedom Fighters?"

"I'm not a Freedom Fighter anymore. I left them to do this. They don't understand why we need to get rid of these people."

"And why do you?"

"Because…" He gathered his empty dishes and stood up. "Because every time we get Eggman, someone else messes it all up and he escapes. I'm clearing it all up a bit so that they can actually permanently defeat him."

Fiona stood and dumped her dishes next to the sink. Tails placed his beside them. Fiona leaned on the counter, mentally deciphering what he had just said. "So… you're not going after Eggman." Tails nodded. "But you are going to eliminate all the others." Tails nodded again. "And I'll get paid for helping you?"

Tails paused. "…Payment?" The idea hadn't even occurred to him.

Fiona walked past him. "Well?"

Tails shook his head. "I have no money to pay you with."

She simply sat back in her chair, crossing her legs. "Maybe not money… but I'm sure I could come up with some sort of payment. Either way, we'll get nothing done just sitting around here."

He glanced at her. "What did you have in mind?"

She grinned. "Well, I happen to know just where to find…"

Tails jumped ahead of her. "Who? Nack? Bean? The Destructix?"

Fiona shook her head, laughing. "No. Someone who'll actually pay us for what we're going to do anyway."


	5. The Mobian Inquisition

Two figures stood outside a medium sized building in the pouring rain. One was hiding his face under a black hat, water slowly filling the rim. He wore a black coat to keep himself dry. His companion was slightly taller than him, but had draped a white cape over her head. The waterproof fabric hung down to her ankles, keeping her completely dry. He reached out and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, a grey furred Arctic Fox opened the door. He glanced at the pair comically. Calmly, he reprimanded them. "I thought I told you kids to be home before eleven. You're late."

Fiona rolled her eyes. "We're here to talk with… Syrus. Can we please come in?"

He took a sip of the coffee he was holding before answering. "Okay, but I'm in on whatever you three are talking about." He showed them down the hallway into a large study. The three looked down at the Rat sitting in a chair reading a book through tiny spectacles. Pointing out some appropriate seats, the Fox smirked slightly to himself. "Seems we've caught him in one of his undignified moments. Syrus, Fiona's here with another interesting scheme no doubt." He seated himself in another seat and waited for Syrus to finish the paragraph.

The Rat finally closed the book and set it down, returning to his normal state of laziness. "Thanks for letting her in, Harry. Fiona… who's your friend?"

Tails removed his hat, letting his fairly long bangs fall across his face. "My name is Miles Prower."

Fiona interrupted. "We need equipment, Syrus. Lots."

Syrus sat up straight, at least pretending to be interested. "We got lots of equipment. We can lend it to you as long as you don't use it against Inquisition forces or tell our superiors that we let you have it."

Fiona nodded. "I understand that, but what I want to know is what you'll want in return."

This time Harry answered, leaning forward. "You become an optional asset to us. We call, you answer."

"Harry, I think you might want to rephrase that."

"Why? I think it sounded just the way I intended."

Syrus shook his head. "What he was supposed to mean by that was that you help us when we head into battle. Get it?"

Fiona nodded again. "Got it."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "Good."

Syrus stood up and walked out of the room. "You two follow me." He led Fiona and Tails up a few floors to the hanger. Heading to a small room off to the side, he explained. "The weapons I'm about to show you are what we'll be letting you use, but bear in mind that they are Inquisition issue. Do not let anyone get their hands on these weapons and use them for evil purposes. The results could be disastrous."

Fiona nodded, slightly impatient. "I already decided not to give it to evil people. Just show us what we're getting."

"Uh… right." He opened a weapons locker and pulled out a rifle. "This is the Black Guard's weapon of choice. It has medium range and rapid rate of fire." He tossed it to Fiona. She caught the weapon and shouldered it. Syrus continued on to a pistol. "This is the basic sidearm for Inquisition agents and my personal favourite. Doesn't pack quite as much punch as the rifle, but it can kill just the same. The only real difference is how far the target will fly backwards."

Fiona grabbed it and pointed in the locker. "What's that thing?"

Following her finger, Syrus sighed. "No, you don't need those. They're specifically designed to do damage to daemons. They don't do much to Mobians, maybe cause a headache."

Tails grinned. "So… a holy hand grenade?"

Syrus glanced at him, seeming to suddenly remember that he was also present. "Yes… kind of. I guess you'll want weapons too." Tails nodded. The Inquisitor handed him a rifle and pistol. "Sorry 'bout that. Uh… we also have access to beam swords, if you want one… or two."

Tails gratefully accepted at the same time as Fiona, the later using decidedly more colourful language. Syrus handed them both the beam swords, passing on a warning. "These are run on void energy. The void is where the Chaos Gods dwell. Don't let them break. If they do… Mobius, or at least you, will be devoured by a daemon horde."

Tails took the weapon carefully. "Okay… that would have been nice to know beforehand."

Fiona nudged him aside, activating the weapon. A green blade sprang to life in front of her. She nodded approvingly. "I'm willing to risk it. This could be very useful." She shut it off and clipped it to her belt. "Anything else, Syrus?"

He shrugged. "A couple Gears that we never use, but that's the basics."

"We'll take the Gears."

Syrus nodded. "Wait here, I'll go get them."

Fiona turned and glared at Tails. "We'll take the Gears?"

"What?"

"Tails, I can't use Gears."

"Why not?"

"Because every time I try I fall off and hurt myself. I hate those things."

"Come on… look, I'll hold your hand the whole time."

"Haha, you're funny."

Syrus returned with the Gears, one blue and one orange. "So… what exactly are you going to be doing with these?"

Fiona let Tails carry both Gears while she explained. "We're hunting some criminals down."

"Cool. Like, who?"

"Ixis Naugus… Mammoth Mogul… Shadow, just to name a few."

Syrus glanced back to the weapons locker. "Huh… maybe those grenades could come in handy, then."

Fiona shook her head. "No, not yet anyway. We should probably go now…"

Syrus pointed out to the hanger. "You can take the Spectre. We haven't really been using it and the Wraith is far better suited to our purposes." He led them to the Spectre.

Tails inspected the ship, quite content with what he was seeing. He turned to Syrus. "This'll do."

The Rat turned to leave. "I'll open the hanger doors."

Tails followed Fiona onto the Spectre, suddenly wondering about something. "Hey, Fiona?" She turned to face him. "Uh… why are they letting us have all this?"

She shrugged. "Well, Syrus owes me a lot, but that's too long a story for right now. Let's just say I saved his life… a few times. As for Harry… he probably spent the whole time staring at me. Syrus says he's too stupid to do much else, but then, Harry says Syrus is too stupid to think independently."

"And…?"

"And… they're both pretty much right." Fiona sat down in the co-pilot's chair. "Get in, you're flying."


	6. Where'd The Mutant Kid Go?

Amy and Mina sat just behind a concealing pile of scrap metal. Around them raged a fierce battle, but they had been told their mission and it did not include getting caught up in a fight. The machine dominating the fight towered over battlefield, making Eggman's usual designs look simplistic and retarded. With a sharp crackling sound, its vibro-whip sliced through a broken down crane. Its target: Sonic the Hedgehog. The blue blur zipped around it twice before running off to a new hiding place. The Egg Render followed, just as planned. Amy and Mina rushed towards the building it had been guarding, leaving it behind to try and deal with Sonic.

Eggman saw it all. The building was empty, so he had no worries. He had learned that the Freedom Fighters were suspicious of anything he put a guard around, which had given him this brilliant idea. He looked to another screen, which displayed two other Freedom Fighters fighting for their lives. Sally and Antoine had fallen into the trap quicker than Amy and Mina. He was a little upset at the loss of his Egg Tearor, but was satisfied that it had served its purpose. Looking over the security screens again and again, he noticed something. It wasn't something new, nor was it something particularly bad… it was something missing. Realization dawned upon him.

"Where'd the mutant kid go?" He inspected the screens more. The two-tailed Fox was nowhere to be seen. "He must have been ordered somewhere else… but where? I only set two traps…" Alarmed, Eggman glanced at the door. He sighed in relief when he realized that no one was there. He glanced back to the screens and made a decision. "I guess I'll just have to ask them."

In moments, Eggman appeared in the building Antoine and Sally had infiltrated. He waved the attacking robots off the assault. The two Freedom Fighters glanced up at him.

Sally made some sort of growling sound, but it came out rather cute instead of threatening. "You're not getting away this time, Eggman."

The scientist shrugged. "It's my trap. Why should I have to get away?" Sally glanced around, suddenly realizing that she had fallen into a trap. She was about to try making a witty comeback when Eggman continued. "Anyway, I just dropped in to ask you a question. Then you can go back to fighting for your life. Where in the oily heck is the vulpine freak?"

It took Sally a few moments to determine that he meant Tails. She decided not to let him know their numbers were diminished. "He's headed for the core of your city. We ordered him to take out your reactor."

Eggman knew. He saw it in her eyes. She was lying. Two could play at that game. He pasted an insane grin on his face. "Too bad for him, then! Cause I moved the reactor and replaced it with a giant nuclear explosive that looks exactly the same!"

Sally didn't look worried. Eggman figured that Tails was either nowhere in the area or Sally had identified the falsification. Eggman almost burst out laughing when Sally replied smugly. "Yeah, but he's got an E.M.P. generator with him."

Eggman responded just as smugly, even though he had already determined that Tails was nowhere near the city. He wanted to know where the Fox was and why. "Yes, but the bomb has E.M.P. shielding and I programmed the sensors to detect E.M.P.'s and detonate the bomb when they got too close!"

"Wouldn't that kill us too?"

"It's a small E.M.P."

"What?"

"Err… I mean bomb."

"Right. There isn't a bomb, Eggman."

"There isn't a two-tailed Fox, Princess."

"Whatever. Now, shoo. We're fighting for our lives, remember?"

"Uh-uh. I wanna know where he is."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm snooping as usual."

Sally looked at the ground. "Alright, fine. He left the Freedom Fighters. You probably won't see him again. I don't know if I even will."

Eggman smiled, not entirely sure what to think of this information. "Okay. That's all I need to know. Bye." With that, he backed out of the building. Inside, he was beginning to get greatly disturbed.


	7. Crashing the Party

Tails maneuvered the Spectre over a building in the ring. He had scouted the building a few days earlier, having found it to be a club. He had seen Nack go in, accompanied by Bean and Bark. He knew better than to assume they were the only people who would shoot back, though.

He turned to the co-pilot seat and shook Fiona awake. "Hey, get up. We're there."

She looked up at him and mumbled something incomprehensible before standing and heading to the back of the ship. "Alright, who are we taking down."

"Nack. He visits this place regularly. He's probably got a few people with him though, so be careful."

Fiona holstered her pistol, leaving the rifle. "You know me."

"That's what I'm talking about." They stepped down the ramp and onto the roof together, then Fiona turned to Tails.

"Why are we on the roof? How the hell are we supposed to get down from here?"

He shrugged. "I was thinking we'd just jump. It's not that far, and there's a truck around back that could cut the distance in half." She didn't look reassured. He sighed. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll catch you."

She smiled playfully. "How sweet of you. Just... just friggin' fly me down there."

He shrugged again and moved behind her, scooping her up in his arms. "...Please try not to add any unnecessary sexual innuendo to this."

"Yeah, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind." He jumped off the roof, landing on the ground behind the club. Fiona brushed her hair out of her eyes and shuddered. "You said you were gonna fly me down!"

"No I didn't."

She stuttered. "F... wha... damnit, Tails! Don't ever do that again!" She fought her way out of his arms and stood, storming off to the back door to the club. It wasn't locked, so she walked right in, followed by Tails.

Fiona stopped and turned when Tails put his hand on her shoulder. He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that."

"Eh, whatever. I know you were just trying to get me to cling to you."

"I told you not to do that."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"...Damnit."

"We should split up and search separately."

Fiona nodded and walked off, intending to find Nack and shoot him before Tails had a chance. She spotted him sitting at a table, actively ignoring the dancer that was obviously interested in him. Also at the table were Bean and Bark, but that didn't surprise her. Bark was simply on the lookout for any trouble, but Bean was distracted by the dancers' shiny costumes. What surprised Fiona was Nic. She sat across from her brother, ignoring the dancers almost as much as him. Fiona almost laughed when she realized how much of a homosexual Nic looked at the moment, actually glancing at the dancers and grinning like someone who was actually interested.

Fiona ducked into a washroom, deciding to disguise herself. She watered down her hair, smoothing it back. Checking herself in the mirror, she kept adjusting it until it looked greased like the dancers'. When it looked similar enough, she left the washroom and went behind the dance stage. If she procured one of the shiny costumes, she could go right up to them. Bean would be distracted; Bark and Nack would ignore her just like the others. Nic was the only thing that worried her, but she was relying on her reputation to keep her from being recognized.

Tails thought he saw Nack. He was heading to confront the Weasel when the music changed. He glanced up at the stage briefly. What he saw made him freeze in shock. It was Fiona. She was on the stage, dancing. He found himself watching her intently. Her hair was smoothed back and her eyelashes had been made more prominent and visible. She was wearing a barely-there silver bikini-style top and a gold, sparkling miniskirt. Two men beside him caught his attention with their conversation.

"Hot damn! Whose the new bitch?"

"I dunno. Never seen her before."

The first man called out to her. "Take it off, baby! Woohoo!"

Tails turned back in time to see Fiona's top drop to the ground. He couldn't keep himself from watching her continue dancing, her bare breasts heaving. He couldn't help the words that came from his mouth. "Holy shit." It suddenly occurred to him how much trouble he could get in if someone asked his age. The club was probably 16+. He was only fourteen. He didn't doubt that Fiona had noticed him watching her. He would probably pay for that later.

Even though he had predicted it, he was surprised when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. "You don't look old enough to be in here."

Tails didn't even respond. He just reacted. Fiona had to dodge out of the way as the bouncer crashed down on the stage. The music stopped and all eyes turned on Tails. He shrugged. "I hate being told I'm too young." He saw Nack and Nic slip out the back, and Bark blocking anyone from following. Then he felt a gun poke his neck.


	8. Clear and Present Danger

Sonic stood stock still. He had decided he would wait for Sally to show up before he moved. She walked into her office and headed for her desk, not even glancing at Sonic.

"What do you want? Be quick, cause I have other things to do."

Sonic was about to respond when Mina walked in after Sally. She seemed worried. "Don't get me wrong, I think he should have known better. But you know he's right. We both know he's going about it all wrong, but he's got the right idea."

Sally turned on Mina, obviously not happy. She straightened her face when she saw Sonic. "Um... no. There is no way he should be doing this. I am... relieved and surprised that he survived, but..."

Sonic cut in before Mina could. "But what? Tails? You're talking about Tails, right?"

Mina jumped, spinning around. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you followed us in..."

Sonic made no attempt to appear happy. "I was already here. Look. This is how it is: Tails is wrong. Absolutely and completely wrong. He has become no better than any of the others. And allowing him to continue makes us just as wrong as him. He is our responsibility."

Sally shook her head. "Sonic... I think it's more of a... necessary evil. We may not like it, but it seems to me that it's for the better. We do have a mission, and it isn't to protect criminals. Our mission as Freedom Fighters is to ultimately defeat Robotnik. What Tails is doing frees us up to deliver a crushing blow to Robotnik's forces. With Scourge gone, the other criminals and mercenaries that always cause us problems will be running scared. Nothing stands in our way."

Sonic shook his head. "Now you're starting to sound like him, Sally."

Mina jumped between the two of them when she noticed Sonic advancing on Sally. "Hey! Stop it! Sonic, Sally is the most levelheaded person I know. She knows what she talking about. We need to take down Eggman while we have the chance. Tails has given us that chance."

Sonic huffed, obviously mad. "I'll make you see. We need to stop Tails." He stormed out of Sally's office and slammed the door shut.

Mina turned to Sally. "We won't go after him, will we?"

Sally looked grim. "Not under my orders. If we run into him, I'll see if I can talk some sense into him... try to get him back. But until then, we focus on Eggman." Mina nodded and turned to leave, but Sally called her back. "Keep an eye on Sonic. I don't want him doing anything foolish."

Mina sighed, letting her shoulders sag. "Okay... sure." She left Sally's office and went to the main room in Freedom HQ. She sat on a couch next to Amy and Bunnie.

Bunnie sighed and rested her head on Mina's shoulder. "Hey, how's Tails?"

"He's alright. I'm more worried about you. You shouldn't be up and about so much."

Bunnie gave her a ridiculous look, indicating that she was sitting. "Ah am neither up nor about. Ah worry about Tails, though. He's a good boy, but he's all alone out there."

Sonic broke in. "Sorry to interrupt, but he's not alone. And you'll never guess who's with him."

Amy turned from pink to red. "He's not with that dirty scoundrel Fiona, is he?"

Sonic nodded in triumph. "One and the same." Amy stood and started waving her hammer around, threatening Fiona from a distance. Sonic continued. "Tell me now that he hasn't fallen in with the wrong crowd."

Bunnie remained seated, but added her piece. "Tell me, then, what circumstances they met under. He may have redeemed her."

Amy turned on Bunnie. "Yeah, right! And maybe they'll get married and have a two-tailed daughter named Miley."

Bunnie looked up at the ceiling, caught up in the fantasy. "Miley! What a cute name! Oh, Ah hope they invite me to their wedding."

Amy looked furious. "Don't make me break your other arm!"

"SHUT UP!" Sally walked through them. "Leave Tails be. We'll deal with him some other time, but for now we should focus on Eggman."


	9. A Fight To Remember

"Ah know you, ya little cretin. You run with that blue bastard. Hands on your head and turn around slow-like."

Tails did as he was bid, turning to find himself facing a grey Jackrabbit with big front teeth and an eyepatch. "You know me. I don't know you."

"Ya don't need to. Ah am sick and tired of you damn Freedom Fighters screwin' things for me'n mah posse." As he rambled on, Tails silently motioned behind his back for Fiona to get out of sight. She noticed it and began to edge away slowly, but it didn't escape the Jackrabbit's attention. He signaled to two others sitting nearby. "Shift. Avery. Get that bitch that's crawlin' away."

The two that had been ordered to move leaped up onto the stage and went behind the curtain. Fiona watched them from one of the change rooms off to the side. She felt a finger tap her shoulder. She turned to see a Mouse wearing nearly the same outfit as her, only not missing the top.

"Hey, I don't recognize you. Who are you?"

"I'm new."

She shook her head. "Lie. Any new recruits have to go through me."

Fiona sighed. "Okay, those two men who just came backstage, they're trying to kill me."

She looked up, alarmed. "What? There's not any men allowed back here!" She stepped out in front of Fiona, allowing herself to be seen by the men. "Ladies!" Shift and Avery paused their search of a box and turned to the Mouse. Shift looked like he had taken it as an insult, but Fiona could see that it hadn't been directed to him. It seemed that the dancers had a stash of weaponry somewhere backstage, as they came out all armed. The Mouse addressed the two men. "If you're not out of here fast, we'll blow your balls off."

Fiona ran to the back of the side room and found her clothes where she had left them. She put them on quickly and searched for her gun. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't had it when she had walked into the building. She must have dropped it outside.

There was a click behind her. "Now, you'll tell me what you're doing here."

Fiona turned slowly. "I don't want any trouble. Just let me leave and-"

"Not happening, Fiona." Fiona glanced up, registering the face of her captor as Nic, two of the dancers standing behind her, their guns trained on Fiona. Nic grinned. "Any last words?"

Fiona nodded, watching and waiting for Nic to make an interested face. "...Fuck me silly." Before Nic could react, Fiona punched her in the face and grabbed her gun, turning it and firing twice. One of the dancer girls fell, blood pouring from her chest. The other girl dodged out of the way into the next room. Fiona charged forward, crashing into Nic and ramming her against the wall. They broke through the wall and landed on a couple of men sitting at a table.

Tails watched the two of them stand up, Nic's nose bleeding. The Jackrabbit called to the men they had landed on. "Get off yer asses n' kill those bitches!"

Tails took the chance and swung at him hard, knocking him over and making him drop the gun. Fiona raised her gun at one of the men, a Roadrunner by the looks of him, and fired. He dropped back into his chair and flopped. The other, a desert Lizard of some sort, grabbed his chair and swung it over his head at her. She dodged expertly to the side, but he had disappeared through the hole in the wall before she could take aim at him.

Gunshots bounced off the wall beside them. Tails turned to see Nack with a group of assorted thugs. He counted about seven before he ducked. Beside him, Fiona dropped to the floor. She kicked at Nic's legs, knocking her flat and delivering a blow to the back of her head.

Gunfire sounded from backstage and one of the girls fell out onto the stage, strangle-marks on her neck. Avery stepped out and looked around. "Jack, where'd you go?"

Taking cover behind tables and counters, Nack's men spread out. Two of them took aim and fired their semi-automatic weapons, shredding Avery's back apart. He collapsed onto the stage right beside the dancer. Gunfire continued and Tails could hear two bodies hit the floor. The Mouse dancer backed out onto the stage with three other girls, turning and firing back through the curtain. They quickly jumped off the stage and joined with Nack and his men.

Tails grabbed the unconscious Weasel beside him and dragged her up. He stood up so Nack could see him, making sure the gun pointed at Nic's head was also visible. "No bad moves or she gets it. You hear me, Nack?" He could hear Nack grumble unhappily from across the room. Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He was about to turn his attention there when he felt a familiar gun poke the back of his neck. He knew it was over when Nic came to. Through the hole in the wall, he could see Shift and the Lizard moving into position, leveling their guns at him.

Throwing all caution to the wind, he ducked and rolled to the side, knocking Nic over so that she was between him and the other two. They fired, their bullets tearing through Nic's body. With no reason left not to, Nack's men opened fire. The first round caught Jack in the forehead. He dropped to the floor in a pool of blood.

On the other side of the wall, the two men exchanged glances. Shift slowly edged away from the wall. "Let's leave this place, Tex. I don't know about you, but I don't want lead in my head." Tex, the Lizard, seemed to agree. The two disappeared quickly, probably going out a side door.

Tails looked beside him to Fiona. She nodded. They readied their weapons and stood up, opening fire.


	10. Vanquishing Act

Of the first four shots, two hit Nack's men. Tails groaned when he realized both of his had missed. Regardless, the two men fell. Tails and Fiona quickly fired again, being sure to make themselves moving targets. Another man fell to Fiona's marksmanship, and Tails managed to land a hit on another. Two of the remaining men, and one of the girls turned to run out the back way. Nack turned to shoot them in the backs for running out on him, but stopped short when cries of surprise and pain came from the men. They were followed by a shriek of terror from the girl, which quickly silenced. One of the other girls dropped her gun and broke cover, panicking. Mercilessly, Fiona fired, blowing a hole through her head and splattering the last man with blood.

Suddenly, the wall behind Fiona exploded, sending splinters of wood and metal everywhere. When Tails could see clearly again, he saw Fiona on the floor, blood flowing from her shoulder. He flew forward from a punch from behind. His head collided with the stage and he saw stars.

Nack and Bark were on him in an instant, the former kicking him across the floor. "You killed my sister, you damn vermin. I'll make you pay for that."

Tails was conscious that Bean was on top of Fiona, keeping her from moving even if she could. He grabbed Nack's leg with both hands and twisted, satisfied when he heard a sickening crunch. Nack cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

On the other side of the room, Tex crept up behind the last of Nack's men and wrapped a clawed hand around his neck. The man gurgled and collapsed. The two remaining girls, which were the Mouse and a much younger Kit Fox, turned and fired at him. Tex ducked behind the counter and waited for his backup. It came in the form of Shift. He leveled a machine gun at the Mouse and fired. Red splats of blood appeared across her body and she fell. He turned and aimed at the younger girl, about to fire.

Tails grabbed a broken beer bottle from an overturned table and jabbed it into Bark's fist as he punched. The Polar Bear recoiled and howled in pain. Tails grabbed Nack's gun and leapt over the stage at Shift. The Coyote turned just in time to look down the barrel of the gun before the back of his head was sent all over the wall behind him.

Tails looked down at the frightened girl. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

"I will." Tails looked up in shock at the evil, malevolent voice. Tex stood before him, eyes glistening, claws shining, and fangs dripping with blood.

Turning the gun to Tex, Tails took a step backwards. "I thought you couldn't speak." He fired twice, hoping to keep the lizard from getting too close.

Tex grabbed a table and blocked both shots with it, aggravating Tails further by not saying anything. He threw the table at Tails, hitting him dead on. Tails went down and Tex moved in for the kill.

Across the room, Fiona woke up, but Bean was still sitting on her back. He noticed her movement. "Hey, foxy Fox! You're awake! That's great, cause I have a wonderful idea..."

Fiona grabbed a large splinter of wood, reached up, and jabbed it into whatever part of the annoying bird she could reach. He immediately stopped talking and started screaming, jumping up and running around wildly. Getting to her feet, Fiona could see that she had stabbed him in the eye. Blindly, he ran face first into a wall and fell onto his back motionless.

Fiona had to duck to avoid being sent flying as Bark swung at her. She bolted away before he could try again, only to trip over Nack who was trying to drag himself away from the battle. He glanced at her briefly before delivering a kick to her face with his good leg.

Bark reached down and helped Nack up. The Weasel leaned on his hired muscle and looked down at Fiona. "Let's get outta here." When he caught Bark glancing over at Bean's motionless form, he slapped the Polar Bear in the back of the head. "Get moving, you dead-weight!"

Sudden shouting caught the attention of all those fighting. Tails, Nack, Bark, Fiona, and Tex all turned to the Kit Fox girl. She was standing on the bar, having poured all the alcohol all over the ground. It was the box of matches in her hand that caught Tails' eye. As she lit fire to it and dropped it on the counter, Tails leapt up and vaulted over the stage. He grabbed Fiona and lifted her off the ground, carrying her through the hole in the wall. The bar exploded, incinerating the girl and burying Tex in burning rubble. The shockwave sent the rest sprawling.

Tails spun his namesakes, flying himself and Fiona to the roof, setting her down carefully. "Get the Spectre in the air! The whole building's gonna collapse!"

Fiona ran up the ramp, yelling. "Yet another reason to not park on the roof!" She ran into the Spectre and started it up, though she was sure she had missed a number of important procedures.

Tails leapt back down and re-entered the building. He looked around cautiously, squinting his eyes to see through the fire that was now consuming everything. "Where are you, Nack?"

He could hear the Spectre taking off clumsily. Then he heard the roof groan and begin to crumble. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed. He looked up from the smouldering pile of debris in time to be smashed in the face with a burning table. He shoved it off of himself and jumped up, trying to find his assailant. The voice came from in front of him, but he could see anything.

"I hope you're ready to die, Fox boy."

The voice was harsh. Tails could sense that they were in great pain as well. "Which one are you?"

The laugh he received was manic. "Would you believe… all of them?"

The figure that stepped out of the fire was too blackened to be recognizable. Any fur and skin would have been burnt off. It was too small to be Bark, and the tail didn't look right for Tex. Then he saw the oversized fang sticking out of his foe's mouth.

"Nack."


	11. Fires

Nack hurled what could only have been a charred corpse at Tails, who blocked with his namesakes. Tails charged forward, catching the Weasel off guard and knocking him down. Nack responded by kicking him in the gut, sending him through a burning wooden pillar. Tails rolled out of the way just as more of the roof collapsed. When he looked up, he couldn't see the night sky. All that was visible were bright flames.

Tails refocused on his opponent. "I'm leaving this building alive, Nack! You're not!"

"I'll make you pay for all of this!"

Nack ran after Tails, howling in rage and flailing his arms in every direction. Tails ducked and rolled, but still took a blow to the back of his head. He struggled to his feet and looked over to Nack. The Weasel was barely holding on, life dripping from him with every move. He tried another charge, but fell forwards before he could reach his enemy. He tried in vain to get to his feet, finally dropping face first onto the floor.

Cautiously, Tails knelt down and flipped him onto his back. Nack was dead. He had burned down just like the club was about to. Tails sighed. "One down, I guess…"

Outside, the Spectre landed lopsidedly. Fiona opened the landing ramp and stepped out, watching the club burn down. Without warning, a large hand covered her mouth. She found herself being viciously pulled into the shadows by someone many times stronger than her.

An unfamiliar voice spoke to her. "This is the end of the line for you. When that kid comes to get you, he'll die too. Then it's off to Knothole to burn all your Freedom Fighter friends out into the open."

They dumped her next to the edge of a ravine. She tried to look around, only to realize that they had carted her to the outskirts of the ring. She couldn't find her assailant at first, but then she heard noises coming from a nearby tree. He had climbed about halfway up when the tree started shaking. Fiona peered into the darkness to see a large figure at the base of the tree, pushing it back and forth. It was Bark.

The Polar Bear was covered in burns and cuts, but his face showed determination. He gave Fiona a brief but meaningful glance, then threw all his weight and strength on the tree, which bent and broke. Fiona bolted away from the shower of splinters and leaves as the tree collapsed.

Bark stepped away from the carnage he had caused, watching Fiona escape. It had been his plan. She was safe. He wasn't. He turned back to the tree just as the reptilian form of Tex shot out of the tangled branches. The Lizard's claws raked across Bark's face, rending his sight, but that meant little to him now. He wrapped his hands around Tex's neck and dragged him towards the cliff. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was near.

Seeing his destination, Tex bit into his foe's shoulder, clawing at any part he could reach with both hands and feet. Bark could feel Tex fighting harder with every step, but he wouldn't be overcome.

Tex glanced behind briefly. He would be over the edge in two or three steps. Looking around for something, anything to save him, his eye caught on Fiona. She quickly raised her middle finger to him before disappearing behind the treeline. Then he fell.

Fiona ran in the general direction of the club. She heard Tex howling as he fell to the bottom of the chasm. She had no idea if Bark had thrown him or jump with him in tow. She didn't care. She wanted out of this place, nothing more.

* * *

Tails stepped into the Spectre. "Fiona? Where are you?" He got no response. Realizing the ship was empty, he ran back down the ramp and looked around. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called for her. After what seemed like an eternity, Fiona came out of the darkness. Tails walked up to her. "Where were you? I was getting worried."

She shoved past him and walked up the ramp. "Shut up Tails. Get in and take me home. I quit."

Shock and confusion hit Tails like a brick. "What? Why?"

Fiona turned around, rolling her eyes. "You almost got me killed. I'm not putting my tail on the line like that again. Get in, fly me home, pay me, leave."

Tails watched her retreat into the Spectre, completely at a loss for words. He had no choice but to abide her wishes. He could hardly believe it though. She had been gone for years, and he'd just gotten her back. Now she was leaving again. He sighed heavily and walked up the ramp, preparing to say goodbye.


	12. Vengeance

Eggman watched the door to his control room. He was expecting a visit. Not because he had asked someone to come, but because no one had intruded in the past hour. Right on queue, there was a heavy but reluctant knock on the door. Eggman took his feet off his desk and straightened up.

"Come in... Snively."

The door opened slowly, revealing his long-nosed nephew. The short little man entered slowly, fearing... just in case. "How did you know it was me?"

Eggman shook his head. "Never mind that. Why are you disturbing me?" He wasn't really being disturbed, but feigning irritation always worked to get information out of Snively quicker.

Eggman's nephew jumped slightly before answering in a hurried voice. "Well, uh... we saw, well we didn't see, but you know... our scanners picked something up. It was small at first but, well, we don't know what it is and..."

Lien-da elbowed past Snively. "It's a Chaos Emerald. I went and picked it up personally while this idiot was in here drooling. It's the red one." She held out the glowing red gem for Eggman to take. The madman grabbed to jewel with such excitement that Lien-da thought he might eat it.

"This! This is NOT a Chaos Emerald! Do you realize what you've done!"

Lien-da backed off, not sure what he meant. "It's not? No! What? What did I do?"

Eggman stepped onto his desk, holding the jewel high above his head. "You, my dearly beloved minion, have put the universe in my hands! This..." He knelt on his desk, holding it out for his subordinates to peer at. "This is a Super Emerald."

* * *

It was time. Sonic stepped out of Freedom HQ. They had just received word of a club in the ring being burned down. A two-tailed Fox had been cited as the culprit. There were over a dozen bodies in the ashes, and that didn't sit well with Sonic. He was the hero of Mobius, and as such it was his responsibility to make sure things like that didn't happen. Especially in his own backyard. He had to stop Tails, and he had to do it now.

He started off from Freedom HQ at a sprint. It was fast, but it wasn't supernatural speed. Then something hit him, grabbing him around the waist and wrangling him to the ground. At first he assumed it was Amy just saying goodbye, but then he managed to get out from under his assailant, freeing himself from her tangle of purple hair. Mina stared back at him, her eyes beginning to well up.

"Don't go."

"Don't stop me." He stood up to emphasize his resolve.

"I will." She stood as well, matching his stance.

Sonic shook his head. "Mina, don't do this. I have to go and you know it."

She stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "No, Sonic! You have to not go! That's what I know and that's what you should know!"

He pulled away from her, but couldn't break her grasp. He tried again, but to no avail. "Let me go."

"No."

"Release me."

"No."

Sonic lost it. "GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME!" He raised his free arm threateningly, but she grabbed it as well.

"If you wanna go, Sonic, you're gonna have to fight me the whole way."

Mina hadn't expected him to actually do it. Before she knew what was happening, his fist slammed into her face. She let go and fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump.

Sonic sighed and turned away from her. "Sorry... I didn't... I wasn't..." He stammered, regret filling his voice. He started to walk away. "Goodbye."

* * *

In Freedom HQ, Sally sat at her desk. She wasn't doing anything, just picking at the corner. Then the ground started shaking. The roof started crumbling above her, showering dirt all over everything. Sally ran out into the base. Amy was already at the door, hurrying everyone out. Antoine was carrying Bunnie and Rotor had grabbed Nicole's portable interface. They had just barely made it outside when Freedom HQ collapsed.

Through the dust cloud, Sally did a headcount. She had to redo it, sure she had missed something. "Where's Mina and Sonic?"

Amy screamed in terror. "Nooooo! We have to get Sonic out of there now!" She seemed uninterested in saving Mina while Sonic was missing.

"Don't bother, he's not there." Everyone turned around to see Mina walking towards them. She had blood smeared on her muzzle, coming from her nose, and lines of dried tears running down her face. "Sonic left."

Sally stepped toward her. "Left? As in..."

Mina nodded, looking down at the ground. "He went after Tails."

Sally sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She was silent while all the others watched her. They needed direction, Sally thought, but what to do...

She looked up at Mina. "We'll find him. We'll find both of them. But first we need to find out what caused that earthquake. Chances are they'll both go after it anyway."

Bunnie tried to stand, but failing that just sat. "Are you sure they would've felt that, Sal gal?"

Sally looked back to Freedom HQ. "I hope so. Sonic just left and Tails has been in the Ring this whole time. That's not too far, and that was a heavy quake. I doubt it's epicenter was right here, so they may have felt it more than us."

"So we're going to catch Sonic?" Amy's eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

Sally smirked. "I guess we are."

* * *

His head had been filled with thoughts regarding what he had done to Mina until the earthquake. Now his focus changed. Not to Tails, but to the large form rising on the horizon. A massive egg-shaped battle platform hovered in the sky, surrounded by a fleet of airships. Sonic recognized at least three Egg Carriers. But more important was the ship in the center. The Death Egg. How had Sonic missed that again! He mentally slapped himself. The good doctor had fooled him again. It was the Egg Dome. That thing had been there for years and no one had questioned it's full purpose.

All the same, it was in the air now. He'd need a way up to it, but it was all a challenge he gladly accepted. He grinned. "Bring it, Eggy."

**Authors Note**: To be continued in Jill Of All Trades.


End file.
